


The True Gift of the Holidays

by justanotherbusyfangirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2019-09-07 06:25:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16848823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanotherbusyfangirl/pseuds/justanotherbusyfangirl
Summary: Dean explains to Castiel what is most important about the holidays.





	The True Gift of the Holidays

 

Dean relaxed into the couch, exhausted from the past couple weeks.  Their friends – no, their family – had been in and out of the bunker, celebrating holidays of all shapes and sizes.  

Dean had exchanged presents with almost everyone he knew, which was definitely a first.  Since they finally had a home base, somewhere safe where people could gather without being found by evil, the holidays actually felt like holidays this year.  It was the first time in his entire life that Dean had been able to truly get into the holiday spirit, with nothing looming over his shoulder.

It was nice, but damn was it exhausting.

From the cooking to the cleaning to the entertaining, Dean felt like an overworked mom.  It didn’t help that many of the people who came over – Charlie, Jo, Kevin, Eileen, and Sam, of course – were younger than him, and he felt like he needed to take care of them, like they were his responsibility.

But, when it was all said and done, Dean loved taking care of his family.

He propped his feet up, leaning his head back to close his eyes.  He was enjoying the quiet that permeated the bunker – Sam had gone out to a movie with Charlie before she was heading back to Chuck-knows-where, so Dean was alone with his thoughts.

Or so he thought, until he felt the couch shift beside him.  He opened one eye to look sideways at the angel next to him, sitting stiffly with his hands clasped in his lap.

Dean shut his eyes. “Hey, Cas.  What’s up?”

Castiel shifted, obviously uncomfortable.  Dean opened his eyes again, and sat himself up slightly to be less slumped over, so he could look at Cas properly.

Cas looked straight ahead as he answered.  “I feel…strange and, um, guilty?”

The admission surprised Dean, and he sat up to mirror Castiel’s straight posture.  “Why?  What happened?”

Castiel looked down at his hands, and Dean could see his thoughts trying to organize, words trying to form.  “I have been in the bunker for much of the past few weeks, seeing your friends-“

“Our friends,” Dean interrupted.

Cas licked his lips. “Yes, our friends.  Seeing our friends, interacting with everyone.  Tasting all of the delicious food that you created.  Laughing and socializing.  It has been an enjoyable time.”

Dean huffed out a laugh, trying to understand why Cas was saying all of these things.  “Yeah, it’s been a great time.  Why do you feel guilty, though?”

Castiel swallowed deeply, before finally making eye contact with Dean.  “I received gifts from some of you – food and shelter from you and Sam, obviously, but Charlie also gave me this handmade keychain, and Jody bought me a new tie…”  Cas dropped their eye contact, looking to his hands once more.  “I didn’t get anything for anyone, and I feel guilty.”

Dean reached out to put a hand over Cas’s clasped ones, offering Castiel a small smile.  “Cas, don’t stress about it.  Nobody expected anything, don’t worry.”

“But Dean-“

“No, Cas,” Dean interrupted. “You have done more for these people than a lot of us.  You’ve healed them, you’ve talked to them, you’ve been there for them.  They don’t need gifts.  We don’t need gifts.”

Dean looked away from Cas, unable to make eye contact for the next admission.  “You are enough of a gift for us.  Just being here is more than any of us could ever hope for.”

“Dean?” Cas questioned, making the man look back at him.

Dean smiled, trying to brush off the chick-flick moment, but failing miserably.  “Look, man,” he started again.  “The holidays – they’re not just about giving material things. Sure, it’s fun to unwrap some presents that have been sitting under the tree, or exchange things privately.” Thoughts of Sam and Eileen’s car ride flitted through Dean’s mind momentarily.  “But when it comes down to it, the best, most important gift that anyone could ever have during the holidays, it’s family.  Hanging out with family, spending time with the ones you love, just being together… Bobby once said that family don’t end in blood, and it’s completely true.  All these people who have been here, celebrating – they’re our family, they’re our gift.”

Dean looked Cas dead in the eyes for the next statement: “You are the best gift you could ever give to anyone, and don’t you ever forget it.”

Dean’s mouth was dry by the end of his impromptu speech, and he was shocked at how emotional he had gotten. Castiel was sitting there, wide-eyed and watching, his mind reviewing everything Dean had said.

Finally, after moments of sitting in silence, Cas spoke.  “Thank you, Dean.  Thank you for explaining this to me.”  

His hands found Dean’s again before he continued.  “Thank you for being my family.”


End file.
